Natural hazards · El Centro

El Centro, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in El Centro comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is El Centro?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in El Centro to be higher than in 89% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes76%Inland flooding23%Everything else2%

By hazard

What El Centro faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Earthquakes

76% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

23% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesLandslidesAvalanchesTsunamis

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does El Centro flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in El Centro.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. El Centro isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Imperial County.

Disasters that hit El Centro

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in El Centro itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of El Centro.

Brought FEMA money into El CentroDeclared for Imperial County only

2023

Tropical Storm Hilary

$45K to the City of El Centro for repairs

2010

Earthquake

$1.4M to the City of El Centro for repairs

Imperial County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. El Centro covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to El Centro’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of El Centro. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across El Centro total about $41.0M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.